Public Viewing Schedule
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The Cline Observatory is open to the public for viewing every clear Friday night.
Sessions usually last about two hours, but may run longer or shorter depending on interest and sky conditions.
There is no charge for public night viewing and the observatory is open to anyone wishing to attend.
No reservations are necessary, and there are no limits on the number of attendees.
(We do ask that you let us know ahead of time if you plan to bring a large group.) |
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| Schedule |
| Date |
Featured Object |
Host |
| 1 January |
M45 - The Pleades Cluster |
Jeff Walters |
| 8 January |
Jupiter |
David Connor |
| 15 January |
M42 - the Great Orion Nebula |
Aaron Martin |
| 22 January |
Lunar Sunrise |
Tim Martin |
| 29 January |
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy |
Jeff Swanson |
| 5 February |
NGC 2362 - the Tau Canis Major Cluster |
David Connor |
| 12 February |
M42 - the Great Orion Nebula |
Angela Broadus |
| 19 February |
Open Cluster NGC 869 |
Beth Desch |
| 26 February |
Mars |
Dennis Hands |
| 5 March |
The Eskimo Nebula
Viewing begins after Dr. Neil Comins' Shapley Lecture, 7:00, AT Auditorium
Saturday, 6 Mar - The Triad Starfest - a full day of astronomy activities |
Jeff Swanson |
| 12 March |
Double Star Beta Monocerotis |
Emily Eddins |
| 19 March |
Open Cluster M35 |
Jeff Walters |
| 26 March |
Saturn |
Angela Broadus |
| 2 April |
The Beehive Cluster |
Dennis Hands |
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Featured objects listed on the calendar are possible highlights for the session, but many interesting objects can be seen throughout the year.
The viewings begin at 7:00 during Standard Time and ½ hour after sunset during Daylight Time. Daylight Time begins the second Sunday of March and ends the first Sunday of November – for the dates in bold in the table below, Daylight Time is in effect. Note: The dates/times in the table are to be used as a sunset guide – they are not the specific dates/times we operate – we’re open every clear Friday. |
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| Sunset Times For Selected Dates: Jamestown, NC |
| Date |
Sunset Time |
| 15 January |
5:29 |
| 15 February |
6:01 |
| 15 March |
7:27 |
| 15 April |
7:53 |
| 15 May |
8:19 |
| 15 June |
8:38 |
| 15 July |
8:37 |
| 15 August |
8:10 |
| 15 September |
7:27 |
| 15 October |
6:44 |
| 15 November |
5:12 |
| 15 December |
5:07 |
Sessions are subject to cancellation without notice due to weather – our telescopes can’t see through the clouds – so please check the condition of the skies before coming to visit. |
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| New Telescope |
| The observatory recently installed a 16-inch Ritchey-Chrétien reflector (pictured below) on the mount under the dome. Other 8-inch reflectors are set up outside the dome during viewing sessions if attendance warrants. |
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